1 ½cups(6 ounces) a mix of grated extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack
½cupmayonnaise
½cupchopped yellow onion
2garlic cloves, finely chopped (2 teaspoons)
½cupchopped fresh basil
¼cupthinly sliced fresh chives
1TablespoonDijon mustard
1large egg
Black pepper, to taste
Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Minced fresh chives for garnish
Instructions
Parbake Crust
Roll out pie crust and place it in a 9-inch pie dish. Fold the edges in and crimp them. Place the dough-lined pie plate in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Ten minutes before taking the pie plate out of the refrigerator, preheat your oven to 400° F.
Remove pie plate from the freezer and line it with parchment paper. Place pie weights on top of it. Bake pie crust for 15 minutes or until edges of crust are starting to turn golden. Remove pie crust from the oven and carefully take out the pie weights. Then return the crust to the oven to bake for 5 minutes longer or until light golden. Set aside and cool completely. Keep the oven on 400° F.
Tomato and Cheese Filling
Prepare tomato slices. Cut tomatoes into ½-inch-thick slices. Place about 7 or 8 slices (enough to cover top of pie) on a baking sheet lined with paper towels, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cover with additional paper towels, and reserve.
Roast remaining tomatoes. Arrange remaining tomatoes in a single layer on a lightly greased wire rack set on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Bake in preheated oven until wilted and slightly dried out, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Make cheese mixture. Stir together cheese, mayonnaise, onion, garlic, basil, chives, Dijon, and egg until combined. Sprinkle with pepper and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
Assembly
Gently spread a third of cheese mixture onto cooled crust; layer with half of the roasted tomato slices in slightly overlapping pattern. Spread another third of cheese mixture on top of tomato slices. Repeat with remaining roasted tomato slices and cheese mixture.
Take the reserved sliced fresh tomatoes and pat them dry. Arrange them on top, pressing filling gently into crust. Shield edges of pie with aluminum foil.
Bake at 400°F until filling is set, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. Sprinkle with basil and chives.
Notes
Tomatoes: Any type of fresh tomatoes will work. Beefsteak, campari and plum tomatoes are good options.Cheese: Opt for one hard cheese and one semi-hard cheese and shred it yourself. Mozzarella, Gouda, Manchego, Asiago are good substitutions.Store tomato pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pie is best when eaten the day it is baked.Freezing: Unfortunately this pie does not freeze well. As it defrosts, the tomatoes will lose their texture and the crust will be soggy.Recipe adapted from Southern Living.